Novelty match-safe.



G. G. OPENSHAW.

VELTY MATCH SAFE.

A OATION FILED MAILG, 1911.

Patented July 18, 1911.

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WITNESSESW UM ,ILUAIIA PLANOOIAFH C0 WASHINOIUN. D. C-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE CLARENCE OPENSHAW, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

NOVELTY MATCH-SAFE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. OPENSHAW, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Novelty Match-Safes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to match safes, and the principal object of the same is to provide a match safe that can be formed of cardboard or similar cheap sheet material, in which the parts thereof can be readily separated so that the safe will require a small amount of storage space, or can be packed compactly to facilitate transportation, and in which novel means are provided for removably attaching a match box to said safe.

the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved match safe. Fig. 2 is a rear View thereof, shown partly broken away, and illustrating the manner in which the tray is removed from the body of the safe. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing a safety match box attached to the tray. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view, the match box being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view showing a receptacle in the tray.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, it will be seen that the improved match safe comprises a body 7 that is formed of flat sheet material and provided with upper transverse eyelets 8 through which fasteners 9 pass for suspend ing the body from a wall or other support 10. The said body 7 may be suitably ornamented at its edges and the front is provided with a match scraping surface 11 that may be of sand-paper, and which is preferably shaped so that its edges correspond to the contour of the edges of body 7 so that it imparts a pleasing appearance to the eye. The lower portions of the side edges of body 7 are provided with seats 12 and from said seats to the bottom of said body, said edges are beveled, as indicated at 13. Immediately above said seats 12, the side edges are straight, as indicated at 14, and above said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed: March. 6, 1911.

Patented July 18, 1911. Serial; No. 612,537.

straight portions, the side edges are provided with enlarged flaring notches 15 the bases of which merge into the upper ends of said straight portions.

A tray 16 is carried by the body 7, said tray having a longitudinal slot 17 formed in its bottom adjacent the rear guard flange 18 thereof. The tray 16 normally rests on seats 12 of body 7 and is placed in such position by first passing one lower corner of body 7 through one end of slot 17 and then rocking said tray so that one end rest-s in one of the side notches 15 of body 7, whereupon the other corner of body 7 can be freely passed through slot 17 and the tray then dropped onto seats 12. When in this position, the tray 16 is supported at right angles to body 7 and the rear flange 18 being behind said body, relative rocking of the a tray and body is prevented. A preferred and practical embodiment of The bottom of tray 16 is provided with a pair of centrally-located pivots 19 which are suitably spaced and project below the said bottom. The projecting ends of the pivots l9 carry flat, resilient holding clips 20. The clips 20 are adapted to engage beneath the covers 21 of match boxes 22 to suspend the match boxes beneath the tray 16 so that the match box can be readily drawn out from the cover, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that a match can be taken therefrom. The clips 20 being pivotally connected to the tray, it will be seen that they can be readily rotated to release the match box when desired.

In Fig. 3, the clips 20 have been shown relatively positioned so that they can support a large match box. In Fig. 1, the clips are closer together so that they can support small boxes.

In Fig. 6, a match box 23 is shown in the tray 16. Said box 23 is used to catch burned matches.

In the foregoing, the manner of assembling the body 7 and the tray 16 has been set forth in detail. It will, of course, be readily apparent that a reversal of the de scribed operation will separate the tray and body.

It will be understood from the foregoing that this invention provides simple means whereby the used and unused matches can be kept separated, yet within easy reach. For instance, the tray 16 can be used as a receptacle for the used matches, or the box 23 shown in Fig. 6 used for the same purpose. This is of value in connection with kitchens and the like places where as ranges are used for it permits the mate es that have been used to light one burner of the stove and be retained for use in lighting other burners, thereby resulting in a saving in matches. .It will also be seen that an entire match box can be readily attached to the tray so that matches can be removed therefrom when desired, thus obviating the use of pockets that require frequent refilling. The match safe is also useful in cigar stores to dispense matches, and the fact that the match box 22 does not need to slide out very far to permit the matches to be accessible, would cause people to only take a few matches from the box.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 1. A match safe comprising a body, a tray carried thereby, regularly-spaced, centrally-located pivots projecting through the bottom of said tray, and thin fiat resilient clips carried by the lower ends of said pivots for suspending a match box beneath said tray.

2. A match safe comprising a body provided with tray seats on its sides, said body having clearance notches adjacent said seats, and a tray provided with a slot through which said body is extended and with a flange that is rocked into said notches while the tray is placed in said seats.

3. A match safe comprising a body provided with tray seats on its sides, said sides being provided with flaring notches adjacent said seats, and the tray provided with a slot through which the lower portion of the body is passed to seat said tray on the tray seats, said flaring notches providing clearing spaces into which one end of the tray is rocked, said tray being provided with a rear guard flange that extends around the rear of the body when the tray is seated on said seats.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE CLARENCE OPENSIIAW.

Vitnesses C. D. lVELLER, L. A. FREEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

